Wave Height Time Series - All Stations (Full Dataset)

Dataset Summary: 288,037 records from 5 stations (M2, M3, M4, M5, M6) spanning 2593 days (2019-01-01 to 2026-02-05). Wind-wave correlation: 0.612, Wave-Hmax correlation: 0.977.

Metric Value Metric Value
Total Records 288,037 Wind-Wave Correlation 0.612
Active Stations 5 Wave-Hmax Correlation 0.977
Date Range 2019-01-01 - 2026-02-05 Max Wave Height 29.9 m
Time Span 2593 days Max Wind Gust 84.9 knots
Dashboard generated 2026-02-05 13:43 UTC using irishbuoys v0.1.0
Variable Units Description
wave_height (Hs) m Significant wave height (Hs): the average height of the highest one-third of waves, equivalent to 4x the RMS of sea surface elevation over a 17.5-min measurement period. This is NOT the height of any single wave - it is a statistical measure that represents the “characteristic” wave height as perceived by an observer. Hs is lower than the maximum wave height (Hmax) because it averages over many waves.
hmax m Maximum individual wave height recorded in the measurement period. Typically Hmax/Hs ranges from 1.5 to 1.9; values above 2.0 indicate a rogue wave.
wave_period s Average wave period via zero-crossing analysis
wind_speed m/s 10-minute average wind speed
gust m/s Maximum 3-second wind gust during the hour
atmospheric_pressure hPa Barometric pressure (970-1030 typical)
air_temperature C Air temperature at buoy (~3m above sea)
sea_temperature C Sea surface temperature (SST)

Why “Significant Wave Height” in the Overview? The Overview shows Hs (significant wave height) rather than individual wave heights because Hs is the internationally standard measure used for sea state description, forecasting, and ship design. It captures the overall energy of the sea state and matches what a trained observer would estimate visually.

Data Sources: Marine Institute Ireland | ERDDAP Data Portal | irishbuoys R Package

Dashboard generated 2026-02-05 13:43 UTC using irishbuoys v0.1.0